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MANILA, Philippines – Unidentified offices under the executive branch got more than a 100% increase in their pork barrel allotment from 2011 to 2012, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).
In a report posted by the agency in its website in October 2013, COA said that certain "executive offices" got as much as 133.25% in Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF), from P324.28 million in 2011 to P756.39 million in 2012.
COA, however, failed to identify the agencies under this item.
The increase for the unidentified executive offices is far from the PDAF adjustments obtained by other agencies. The closest to it is the education department which got a 43.68% increase.
At the same time, some agencies earlier identified as conduits of lawmakers' funds that went to fake non-governmental organizations suffered huge decreases in PDAF allocations.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao got the highest drop in PDAF allocations in 2012 compared to 2011, followed by the finance department.
| Allotment of Priority Development Assistance Fund (in million pesos) | |||
| Department / Agency | 2012 | 2011 | % of Adjustment |
| Public Works and Highways | 12,170.06 | 11,352.03 | 7.21 |
| Budget and Management | 5,954.88 | 5,413.93 | 9.99 |
| Social Welfare and Development | 907.28 | 681.45 | 33.14 |
| Other Executive Offices | 756.39 | 324.28 | 133.25 |
| State Colleges and Universities | 441.72 | 516.02 | -14.4 |
| Health | 435.77 | 390.37 | 11.63 |
| Finance | 429.66 | 716.48 | -40.03 |
| Labor and Employment | 269.95 | 243.36 | 10.92 |
| Agriculture | 232.03 | 620.59 | -62.61 |
| Education | 90.72 | 63.14 | 43.68 |
| Energy | 34.5 | 0 | |
| Interior and Local Government | 32.74 | 35.61 | -8.05 |
| Trade and Industry | 13.92 | 21.75 | -36.01 |
| Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao | 5 | 30.5 | -83.61 |
| Environment and Natural Resources | 0 | 13.73 | -100 |
| TOTAL | 21,774.6 | 20,423.24 | 6.62 |
From 2011 to 2012, the Department of Public Works and Highways topped the list with more than P10 billion in PDAF allocations.
COA said in its report that this fund was used for "hard projects," like "construction, repair and rehabilitation of priority public infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, flood control facilities, water supply systems, school buildings and other educational facilities, hospitals and other health facilities, public markets and multi-purpose buildings."
The budget department came next in the list of highest PDAF, with its funds used "as financial assistance for the implementation of priority programs and projects of various LGUs nationwide."
The Department of Social Welfare and Development was third with the most PDAF funds in 2012. Its allocation was used for the implementation of "soft projects," like the KALAHI-CIDSS program which "promotes community participation in the design and implementation of pro-poor activities in their respective areas."
The item "Other Executive Offices" ranked 4th in the list of government agencies that got the most PDAF funds in 2012, and only 8th in 2011.
These agencies consumed most of the total PDAF appropriations, which according to the COA report, stood at P24.89 billion in 2012, and P24.62 billion in 2011.
– Rappler.com
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